


Don't Dream It's Over

by telperion_15



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst, Dreams, Established Relationship, Low Self-Esteem, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-21
Updated: 2012-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-31 13:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/344533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telperion_15/pseuds/telperion_15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor and Matt are stuck up a tree again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Dream It's Over

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a birthday fic for fififolle, for the prompt 'Connor/Matt, up another tree'.
> 
> This refers back to my fic [Without A Paddle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/340784/chapters/551613%22), but is AU to the universe of that fic, in that the pairing is different. It's also not really necessary to have read that fic to understand this one, I don't think.
> 
> A note about OCs:  
> Primeval fandom on LiveJournal has generated a number of fanon OCs, created by different authors and freely used by others, to the extent that some of them have now taken on lives of their own. The one that appears in this fic, Rees, belongs to me.

  
“Trees,” muttered Connor. “Why does it always have to be trees?”  
  
“Because we needed a good vantage point, and this was the best way to get one,” Matt replied, entirely too reasonably in Connor’s opinion.  
  
“But why did I have to climb up with you?” Connor complained. He was also noticing that Matt seemed to be doing a much better job of balancing on their frankly unsteady perch than Connor was.  
  
“Because I wouldn’t have been able to protect you if I’d left you at the bottom,” said Matt. “And look at it this way – at least there aren’t any raptors waiting for us down below this time.”  
  
“Yet,” said Connor darkly.  
  
And of course, right then, as if they’d been waiting for their cue, four raptors emerged from the undergrowth and surrounded the foot of Connor and Matt’s tree, looking up at the humans with hungry expressions. If a raptor could be said to have an expression in the first place.  
  
“Oh, great,” said Connor. “Now look what’s happened.” He glared accusingly at Matt. “You’ve jinxed us!”  
  
“Hey!” Matt exclaimed. “How was I to know?”  
  
“This kind of thing always happens to us!” Connor looked down at the raptors, who stared back at him. “What are we going to do now? We can’t climb down while they’re there.”  
  
“We need a plan,” Matt said.  
  
“Could you shoot them from up here?” Connor asked hopefully, eyeing Matt’s gun.  
  
“I’m not sure,” Matt replied. “And anyway, I have much better idea.”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
Matt gave Connor a look. “I’m sorry, Connor,” he said seriously. “But you’ll have to be bait.”  
  
And he pushed Connor out of the tree.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Afterwards, Connor wasn’t sure whether he woke up at the point of hitting the ground, or whether the shock of Matt’s actions had snapped him out of the nightmare. All he knew was that one minute he was falling through the air, gaping up at Matt’s cold, blank face, and the next minute he was looking at the darkened ceiling of his bedroom, feeling his heart racing and his breath coming in shallow, panicked pants.  
  
Someone stirred next to him. “Connor, you all right?” a sleepy voice asked. Then, as his instincts told him that something was really wrong, Matt woke up properly and sat up in bed, turning on a lamp and looking at Connor in concern.  
  
“Conn? What’s the matter?”  
  
“Oh, nothing. Just a dream,” Connor replied, trying to make light of it. He wasn’t sure if Matt would understand what had got him so worked up.  
  
Matt’s expression turned sceptical, and he frowned. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me,” he said gently.  
  
“Okay then, it was a nightmare,” Connor confessed. “But it doesn’t matter, really. It’s not important.” He tried to roll on to his side, and put his back to Matt, but Matt’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Matt said. “It might help to get it off your chest.”  
  
Connor hesitated, and then took a deep breath. “Okay, basically, we were up in a tree together, and there were some raptors at the bottom. Like what happened before.”  
  
“And…?” Matt prodded, when Connor paused again.  
  
“And you said I had to be bait and you pushed me out of the tree,” Connor finished in a rush. “I know, I know, it’s stupid.”  
  
“It’s not stupid, Connor,” said Matt, his expression more understanding that Connor could have hoped for. “But I hope you know I would never do that in real life, right?”  
  
“Of course I know that,” Connor replied.  
  
“I’m not going to push you away, Connor. _Ever_ ,” Matt stressed. “I’m not stupid, I know you sometimes think you don’t deserve what we have, or that one day I’m going to wake up and wonder what the hell I’m doing with you. But, _but_ ,” he continued, forestalling Connor before he could say anything, “that’s not going to happen. You believe me, don’t you?”  
  
“Yes,” said Connor.  
  
Matt lay down again and slid himself close to Connor, nuzzling at the side of Connor’s neck as he draped an arm across Connor’s stomach, and a leg across Connor’s thighs, holding him close. “Are you sure about that?” he pressed, the nuzzling turning into little kisses that made their way down Connor’s throat and along his collarbone.  
  
Connor sighed, tension he didn’t even know he was carrying suddenly flowing out of his body all at once, leaving him relaxed and comfortable. “Yes,” he said again, believing it now. “I’m sure.”  
  
Matt’s hold on him tightened. “Good.”


End file.
